Method of segregating units.



L. s. noamsou. METHOD OF SEGREGATLNG UNITH. APPLICATION FILED JAN- 30| I913 n 9 1 7n 1 n p \A d u u n m a P T E E H A S T E E N S 3 90 0 0 00 0 0 Q o o 00 o '0 o o o o o '0 o 0 0 O o o 80 3) C60 O O O O @0 U 0 0 OOOO O OUO O O O O O O O O INVENT R I )rz' a AT'I'URNE\ L. s. ROBINSON. METHOD OF SEGREGATING UNITIX'. APPLICATION FILED JAN. 30. I913.

Patentd Apr. 17, 1917.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2 5 INVENTOR.

WITNESSES ATTORNEYS L. S. ROBINSON. METHOD OF SEGREGATING UN TS.

APPLICATION FILED H.110. I9 3- Patented Apr. 17, 1917.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

O OOC) OOOOOO IN VEN TOR. 0 p

WITNESSES LEO S. ItOBINSON, 0F ALAMEDA, CA LIFORNIA.

mn'rnon or SEGREGATING Uvrrs.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 17, 1917.

Application filed January 30, 1913. Serial Io. 745,194.

To ll whom it may concern:

e it known that I Lno S. ROBINSON, a citizen of the United states, and a resident of the city of Alameda, county of Alameda, andState of California, have invented new and useful Improvements in the Method of segregating Units, of which the following is a specificatlon.

Another object is to so designate each card thatit is adapted to be segregated manually, or.) by electric or other counting or segregating machines, automatic, or other- Another object is to provide a segregating system adapted to-the segregating of cards,

stencils, matrices, and other units having a physical characteristics adaptable to differentiation in accordance with this invention.

This invention possesses other advantageous features that, with the foregoing will be set forth at length in the following de-- scription, wherein I shall outline in full.

that form of the invention selected for illustration in the'drawings accompanying and forming part of the present specification.

The novelty of the invention will be included in the claims succeeding said description.

From this it is apparent that I do not restrict myself tothe disclosure'made by said drawings and description, as I may adopt many variations within the scope of my 1n-- vention as expressed in said claims.

For convenience in disclosing some of the adaptations of this invention, the following description and the drawings will be confined to its application to card systems; but

I do'not wish to be understood as confining myself to this particular application, or the construction or arrangement of parts particularized therein.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a plane or face view of a blank,

shown for convenience as a flat card, ready earing a common designation or. designations.

to receive m )dified designating subclassification openin gs or apertures in accordance with this it vention.

Fig. 2 is similar view of the same, having certain of its original openings elongated 0r varied, to give it a certain distinguishing designation or combination of distinguishi: lg subclassifications.

Fig. 3 is an isometrical perspective in front elevation of one available means for segregating all cards or the like in the mass havin com non single or combinative subclassi cations.

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 2, showing a modified iorm of perforation adaptable to a modified means of segregation.

Fig.5 is 1L modified form of card having a metal bou 1d edge and vertical guide slots to receive g iide rods.

Fig. 6 is an isometrical perspective of a stack of cards, certain of the cards being broken away to disclose the relation of the associated cards and their subclassification designations engaging the retaining means. In detail the construction consists of the blank text card 1 preferably having one corner cut a Way as at 2 as a ready means of detecting a :-eversed card in the "stack. This text card is preferably provided with the systematically spaced master holes, openings, or apertures 3, coinciding with similar holes in the key card, hereina ter described, These inastur openings engage therods t9 prevent undesignated cards from responding to the operation of segregation hereinafter described; and they act as a guide or pilot -hole ii the subsequent operation of elongation, slotting, notching, or other enlargement. These cards are preferably unlform in size and-of conventional dimension.

The key c tld 4 has the holes 5 arranged to coincide witi the master holes 3 in the cards. Each hole 5 may be given a designating title in accordanl e with the nature of the data tobe subclassified by the cards. The shape and position of the holes in the key card remain unaltered,

The textcards 1 may be distinguishingly designated )y enlarging or elongating certain of the master holes therein depending upon the dt sired designation; for instance,

'the card illustrated in Fig. 2 has certain of the key card it is seen that the card desig- 110 desired items of information.

' ward 3, precinct 9.

' chanical segl nates a certain person as being a white male, registered as a Republican and voting in This description can be extended to the full capacity of the card'by enlarging as many master holes as desired, augmented by .text matter written on the. face of the card.

The invention is practised as follows: The text cards are stacked face to back in alinelnent. To segregate all the individual text cards bearing any one or all of the six items of description above, the key card is alined in front of the. stack and the segregation rod (5 is inserted in the hole designated \V ht. (abbreviation for white) or all the segregation rods 7 8, 2), 10 and 11 may be inserted in the respective holes bearing titles on the key card, corresponding with the \Vith these rods inserted through the whole stack, the rardsare inverted, agitated or manipulated causing all of the cards having slots engaged by all of the rods to extend outward the limit of the slot, exposing a margin of card beyond the edge of the stack; those cards not having slots engaging all of the rods will be held on 'nums'e by the rods engaging the master holes therein. lVith the slotted cards hanging suspended on the segregation rods, one or more support rods 12 and 13 can be insertedabove them to hold the margins exposed when the stack is restored to the upright position, as shown in Fig. 3. If it is desired to remove the segregated cards, all the rods except the rods 12 and 13' can be removed. If only one item' of information is wanted, one segregation rod is inserted in the desi nated hole 1n the key card, and every card designated with an enlarged master hole corresponding to that particular item will respond to the. segregating operation described. The many ramifications in the ap lication of this inventionfand its adapta iility to many and varied classifications, and snbclassifications,

-is sufliciently apparent. Inverting the cards to accomplish segregation is the preferable method but other methods can be employed Without departing from the spirit of this invention.

By placing in juxtaposition suitably shaped contacts in electrical counting or so regating machines, the slotted cards can divided out of the stack according to their peculiar designated subclassifications in an obvious. manner, or the enlarged holes may be adapteil'to other means of automatic mention.

A'modification of this invention is shown in Fig. 4 in which the stack of cards are strung on a rod extended through the pivot hole 14, and the designation slots 15 are cut approximately concentric .with this pivot hole. This is a convenient means for segregating the cards without other mechanical bea ring such data be removed entirely from the stack. In the operation of segregation, those cards which are designated by extending the hole to the margin of the card as at 17 are not retained by the segregation rods inserted therein and can fall free of the stack or mass of cards, in the act of segregation. One or more of these nether holes must be retained to receive the support rods 12 and 13, if their function is required, and no container is used. 7

When it is desired to provide master holes in the card in such numbers that the texlure. of the card may be weakened to an undesirable extent, the card can be reinforced with fabric, metal or other additions. .\dditional holes may be provided bya series of wire loops, perforated tabs, or the like, added to the edge of the card, and the removal or cutting open of such loops or tabs would release from the retaining means the card or cards so designated, in the same manner as the enlargement of the master holes, before described, and is in full accord-- ance with the spirit of this invention and the claims forming part of this specification, so long as the means permit the designated cards to separate from the stack or mass of cards, by differentiated engagement or disengagement with the retaining means.

The card illustrated in Fig. 5 is designed to overcome frictional coherence of the cards in the stack during the operation of segreation. The metal or reinforcing edging 18 keeps the surfaces of the cards from bearing against or ehafing each other, besides adding to the strength of the cardr The slots 19 may be provided in the; cardsand they may be ,strung'on the rods 20 fastened between the ends of the trays, drawers, or framework av, for containin the stack of cards. These slots act as guldes to'prevent lateral dis )lacement, wedging -or jamming of the cards in segregation, by causing the lateral edges to move parallel in separating from the stack. I T

Suitable mechanical means, such as trays, drawers, and the like, may be provided to facilitate the manipulation of cards treated in accordance with this invention, without departing from the spirit thereof; and the manner of enlarging, altering or placing the designating or classification holes may be varied to suit particular practices of this invention, and I do not wish to be understood as confining myself to the particular disclosures illustrated and above described.

I claim:

1. The method of classifying units, consisting of providing said units with master I apertures, and enlar ing said master apertures in an unit without breaklng the edge of said unit for sub-classification.

2. The method of segregating units consisting of providing said units with master apertures, enlarging said apertures in any unit without breaking the edge of said unit and associating said units with a key mem bergiavhereby said units may be identified and segregated according to their enlarged apertures.

The method of segregating a designated unit or units from a plurality of associated units, consisting in perforating all the units, altering one or more perforations of the designated units, and inserting a rod or rods through all of said units; whereby the undesignated units are held, and the designated units may be partially orxwholly separated from said plurality of units.

4. The method of segregating cards from a plurality of cards, consisting of providing each of said cards with a series of master apertures, varying certain of said apertures, inserting a rod or rods through all of said cards, and subsequently effecting segregation by means of the variations of said a ertures engaging said rod or rods.

5. he method of classifying and segregating units, consisting of providing said units with master apertures, enlarging one or more of said master apertures, to represent classification or subclassification, and passing segregation means through said apertures; whereby designated units may be margina alinement of the mass of asso ciated units.

7, The method of segregating a unit or units from a plurality of associated units, consisting of providing all of said units with master apertures enlarging certain of the master apertures in designated units,

- placing said units in a container, having apertures registering with said master apertures in the units, inserting retaining rods through the registering apertures 1n the container and the units, and inverting the container; whereby the designated units may be segregated from the mass of units, the limit of the enlargement of their master apertures engaging the said retaining rods.

8. The method oi segregatin a unit or units from a plurality of associated units, consisting of provi ling all of said. units with master apertui es enlarging certain of the master apertures in designated units, inserting said units in agcontainer having apertures registering withsaid master apertures in the units, inserting retaining rods through the registering apertures 1n the container and the inits, and inverting the container; whereby the designated units may be segregated lfrom the mass of units, the limit of the enla rgcment of their master holes engaging sail retaining rods; then inserting support rods through the container and the mass of units, beneath the segregated units, ,znd restoring the container to the normal position. 1

9. The method oi segregating designated units from a plurality of units, among which they are var ously interspersed, consisting of providing all of the units with uniform master ape rtures, enlarging one or more of said. aperlures, as information is added to each unit to identify it under several classifications, to facilitate its selection mechanically, under any one or more classifications repnsented by the enlarged apertures therein.

10. The method )f'sorting units from a number of associated units, having differentiating character stics within the margin I of the units, which comprises engaging the units not having H" e desired differentiating characterist cs, by one or more separate engaging means; an i movlng with respect thereto the units n t so engaged.

11. A method of sorting cards according to information appearing thereonfwhich comprises arranging the cards on edge with alined parts of th: cards each allotted to a particular item of information appearing on some of the cards and with each of said parts of each card allotted to an item not appearing thereon equipped for engagement with engaging means co-acting with said part, associating with the cards a plurality of separate engaging means, each adapted to co-act with the equipment atone of said parts cf each card, and, moving relative to the ma: is the cards not retained with the mass by any. of said engaging means.

12.-A method oi sorting cards according to a plurality of ii ems of information contained I thereon, cc mprising arranging the cards in a mass, equipping each card for movement relative to the mass with respect to items of information contained on said card and for engagement at one or more of aplurality ofpoi its each representing an item not contamell on said card but contained on. otherca: 'ds, associating therewith a plurality of separate means each adapted to engage the car is at one of said points 130 and to hold the cards with the mass when so engaged, and moving relative to the mass 3 the cards not retained with the mass by any mt said engaging means.

13. A method of sorting cards according to a plurality of items of information appearing thereon, comprising arranging the cards vertically in a mass with alined parts of all the cards allotted to particular items of information and equipped with means for retention or freedom from such retention with members co-acting with said part of all the cards according to the absence or presence of thatitem on said cards, assomating therewith a series of members each adapted to co-act with the said equipment at one of said parts of the cards to retain with the mass the cards equi ped at said part with means for retention y the members and to p'ermit cards not so equipped to move relative to the mass, and moving relative to the mass the cards not retained with the mass by any of said members. 7 7

14. A method of sorting units according to a plurality of characteristics, which comprises associating therewith a plurality of separate engaging means each allotted to a particular characteristic of some of the units and adapted to engage each unit or leave it free from engagement thereby according to the absence or presence of the partlcular characteristic to which said, engaging means lsallotted, and moving relative to the engaged umts those unlts not engaged by any of said engaging means whereby the units having 'the plurality of characteristics to which the actuated engaging means are allotted are differentiated and may be separated from the other units.

15. A method of sorting units from a number of associated units according to a plurality of characteristics, which comprises engaging the units not having any of the plurality of characteristics according to which it is desired to make the selection by one or more separate engaging means each representing one distinct characteristic of the plurality according to which it is desired to make the selectiomholding said units by means of one or more of said engagements and movin; with respectthereto the units not so engaged, whereby the units having said plurality of characteristics are ditferentiated and may be separated from the units having none of said characteristics.

16. The method of segregating units consisting of providing said units with master apertures; removing material between certain of said apertures; and passing retaining means through said apertures in the units, whereby said unitshaving material removed between the apertures may .be

moved. with respect of the cards not lnW- ing material so removed.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand at San Francisco, California, this 24th day of January, 1913.

- LEO S. ROBINSON.

In presence of'- BALDWIN VALE, H. G. Pnos'r. 

